Grace Valley Church

Our beliefs shape our answers to lifes questions, which shape our decisions. So what do you believe in? What sets the cadence of your life? As Christians, our belief system is outlined in the bible. If you are unsure of what God is calling you to do, first you need to make sure that your decisions remain in line with God's commandments. That should be your fundamental belief and your decisions sho...

This is one of those sermons that you might want to listen to again, simply because the concept of God's sovereignty and our free-will is so complex. My brain still hurts a bit from listening to Pastor Paul explain the paradox of how we are fully responsible and autonomous when it comes to making decisions in our lives, and yet at the exact same time, God has predestined it all, and there's nothin...

This week, we start to explore the concept of the "will" of God. I think everyone, non-believers and believers alike, considers the will of God at some point in their lives. For example, when we see really awful tragedies, it's natural to wonder about the will of God, if He's even there or what His heart is truly like. Pastor Paul Vanden Brink begins this teaching series by explaining a few aspect...

This week, Mark takes us through 1 Samuel 7:1-15 and teaches us about the rich history and meaning behind the 'Ebenezer stone'. The fact of the matter is, God is just as faithful to us today as He was to the Israelites of the bible. If we turn and repent (which is, turn away from the sin that is entangling us and asking forgiveness of God and those whom we have hurt), God will always, always be fa...

It is so strange to me that my thoughts actually matter to God. You would think that he would have better things to do than to be intimately linked with the constant barrage of self-criticism, judgement of others, obsessions over to-do lists and the unending layers of anxiety that cycle through my mind all day. But God openly expresses His love and delight in us, His created beings. He has permane...

December 26th, 2021 | Grace & Truth by Grace Valley Church

December 24th, 2021 In The Flesh by Grace Valley Church

While we are all children of God in the sense that God created every single one of us, God has also chosen those He will have an intimate, special and privileged relationship with. This is a filial relationship, one that is not bestowed on us because of our own merit or good-ness, it's bestowed to us as a gift through Jesus Christ. Jesus' death made way for the Holy Spirit to do His work, by openi...

What's the problem? The problem is sin. Sin isn't just about 'breaking rules'. It's not just "making mistakes" and its not indulging in your favourite triple chocolate treat. It's the reason the world is broken, and it's the reason why Jesus came into the world. Because He knew we'd be completely helpless in our estate and that the righteous Judge, God the Father, would execute divine justice on o...

Why did Jesus come into this world in the first place? Because He loved us and He proved His love to us by entering into our fallen world. He couldn't stand by and watch God's children suffer in sin and destruction. He couldn't stand by, knowing that we would have to be judged by His Holy Father and knowing that we'd never have eternal life without someone to pardon our sins. So He came to earth,...

In this weeks service, we begin to celebrate the Advent of the birth of Jesus Christ. Pastor Paul Vanden Brink takes a look at the book of John, specifically chapter 1, verses 1-3. These few verses are filled with incredible depth of meaning and significance. Jesus is the 'word' that John is speaking of here, Jesus is the entirety of same exact power and glory that came from God's own mouth when H...

Keith Williams is preaching from Romans 12:1-2. This text focuses on how we are to act because of, and as a result of, God's love for us. Because of God's great love for us, because He poured His love into our hearts, we now offer our bodies (in the form of helping others) in the service of God. As praise and worship to Him. We are predestined to do this by a loving, perfect Father who does not re...

Do you want to know the key to knowing whether or not something or someone is fake? Immerse yourself in the real thing. People who come from families that are really toxic, have no idea what real love looks like, and so it's harder for them to spot the real deal. But people who have had experience with a lot of stable, healthy, loving relationships can more easily spot what an unhealthy one looks...

This week, we're continuing our sermon series on spiritual gifts. This sermon is very practical and filled with biblically based teaching on what exactly spiritual gifts are and how they are completely unique to each Christian. For those of you who like to feel extra special (like me), this ones a good one for your sense of purpose in life. There's even a graphic for all you visual learners out th...

This week we are looking at spiritual gifts. Spiritual gifts are gifts of service that God graciously and supernaturally gives to Christians. They are not earned and they are not developed by practicing really hard. Unlike a personal talent, God's spirit enables our gifts instead of us having to work at it. These gifts are for the common good and service to the church and are used to grow His king...

Life can be incredibly disorienting. Some of us struggle with this feeling of disorientation more than others, but all of us can relate to it at some point or another. In Deuteronomy, we look at an entire nation of Israelites who are facing the death of their leader, Moses. The one who prophesied and led them through the wilderness. The one who literally saw the face of God - and survived it. And...

The metaphor of the church being the 'bride' of Christ is one of those metaphors that can require an extra shot of faith to be totally comfortable with. Especially if you are a dude. But listen to this: God chose you. And the metaphor of the bride is one of the ways this truth is illustrated. In the middle east, marriages were arranged. That means, you didn't get to choose who your spouse is, your...

This weeks sermon focuses on the Spiritual body that includes each person who believes and follows Christ. We also talk about being spiritually dead and what it means to be unaware of our sin and unaware of Gods love for us. When we exist outside of the body of Christ - that is, outside of the body of believers, we are not connected to the spiritual heart of Christ and we are spiritually dead. Jus...

If someone had called me a "child of the devil" before I became a Christian, I'd have imagined them shaking their cane at me like Grandpa Simpson. "Youuuu child of the devil!" And I would have been mildly insulted too. But you know what? Anyone who absolutely refuses to submit to the Lord is actually a child of the devil. And that's what I was doing, that's what anyone is doing who willingly turns...

If there was ever going to be a more important message for us to hear these days, it's the message of unity. With elements of division being felt, seen and experienced in every aspect of our lives, it seems like the world is literally falling apart. And, quite frankly, it is. But we can stand firm in the midst of the rubble around us, by remaining solid on what God teaches us through the Bible. I'...

I used to think that Jesus referred to us as His sheep because they were cute and fluffy and happy to follow their fearless Shepherd. That's not exactly the case, and it's not because some of us aren't cute or fluffy. Pastor Paul Vanden Brink unpacks why Jesus refers to us as His flock and why it's a backwards, yet fitting, compliment. Scripture taken from John, Chapter 10:1-18.

This week, Pastor Paul talks about the Church as an embassy. What does that mean? And what does standing backwards in an elevator and wearing potato sacks at the beach have to do with how we, as Christians, belong to a spiritual embassy? Tune in to find out! Scripture taken from book Matthew 16:13-20.

Spoiler alert: Everything turns out beautifully in the end. When this life is over, when all of the division and tragedy and ugliness of the world has faded and the Story has unfolded, guess what. The ending is good, and beautiful and perfect and just. Take comfort in that, friends, as we look to Jesus for how we are to behave and act in this age of turmoil and strife. This sermon is based on the...

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www.gracevalleychurch.ca Dr. John Span